Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Did you just talk to me?”

While I was pondering, Declan replied briefly that there was nothing, and then started walking again.

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry.”

“Your-Your Majesty… I’m sorry, but may I ask whom you’re talking to now?” After a moment’s hesitation, Noah asked again.

‘What should I do? Of course, he can’t help but say that…’

Everyone was nervous and waited for Declan’s words as well.

“Noah.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, don’t worry about what I mumble to myself.”

“Yes?” At the sudden remark, Noah asked, confused.

“When I talk to you, I’ll call you by name directly, understand?”

“What…”

“Just do what I’ve just told you.”

Completely lost at this point, Noah just silently blinked his eyes with a puzzled face.

‘Why would you cut off the front and back explanations, and only report the conclusion?’ Regardless, I thought that he would make a plausible excuse as being an Emperor.

I shook my head and he shook his head.

“Your Majesty, I don’t think this is right.”

“What?”

I saw Noah taking a step back and reflexively shutting his mouth to answer.

“Everyone thinks it’s strange. The Chief Attendant is also flustered.”

“Why does that matter?”

“Why doesn’t it matter? What would anyone say when they see Your Majesty speaking to yourself in the air?”

“Maybe they think I’m crazy.”

‘No, knowing that, you can’t be crazy!’

What the hell is he talking about now?

Declan slightly raised the corners of his lips as if he had read my heart in my eyes.

“My Imperial authority is not weak.”

As the current Imperial Family is only Declan, no one can challenge his Imperial power. However, this did not mean that his reign would last forever—He’ll eventually die.

“I don’t like it. I don’t want Your Majesty to be accused of being a mad Emperor or a tyrant.”

Hearing my words, he looked at me with a rare bewildered look on his face.

“In the future, I will not speak to Your Majesty when there are people around.”

I concluded before looking back. Noah’s eyes were shaking as if they had met a storm.

‘You must have been very shocked. I’m sorry. I’ll take good care of this.’

At that, Declan only gazed at me with his mouth shut for a little before quietly headed to the conference room.

When the door to the conference room opened and Declan entered, the nobles rose from their seats and greeted them.

“Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“Everyone, sit down.”

As he sat down on the throne, the servant set the doll down right next to him. Meanwhile, I stood next to the doll, contemplating where I should be.

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, Declan glanced at me and patted his chin.

‘Why? What other bombs are you going to drop now?’

It wasn’t a very good sign that he stared at me with agony.

“Noah.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Bring another chair here.”

Noah looked at Declan curiously as he kept looking for a chair these days.

“I’m fine. Standing isn’t difficult at all.”

“Though I’m uncomfortable.”

As I tried to refute more, I felt the stinging gazes towards this side, so I bit my mouth shut.

“What are you doing, Noah?”

“Oh, yes. I see.”

At his urging, Noah answered quickly and had an attendant bring a chair.

“Sit here.”

In the end, I sighed and sat down next to him. While Declan, who put the doll on the left and me on the right, was satisfied.

“Your Majesty, for whom is the chair you have asked to bring now?” Asked the old gentleman with faded blue hair.

“Lord Otien, since when did you become so interested in what I do?”

Declan asked, raising one corner of his mouth.

‘The Duke of Otien? Where?’

Hearing his name, I turned towards the direction right away. The eyebrows are long and slender, giving the impression of an insidious and mean-spirited look.

‘It’s just a typical villain. We have to catch that guy.’

I stared intently into his face.

“As the head of the Duchy that supports this Empire, of course, I should be interested in what Your Majesty is doing.”

Declan twisted his lips as the Duke spoke as though he was saying that the entire Empire would fall without the Duke of Otien.

“The Duke of Otien is an aristocratic family that acts as the backbone of the Empire. I know your loyalty well.”

The people who had gathered in naive recognition made puzzled faces.

“But, if the guard dog doesn’t know where his place is, he should be rid of.”

Despite his sarcasm, Duke Otien’s expression did not waver.

He was also a formidable man.

‘He acts like he doesn’t know what Declan’s talking about!’ As I cursed inside and shot at Duke Otien, Declan smiled coldly when he saw I felt the same way.

“Especially if it’s a dog that bites its owner, it’s really useless. Do you think the owner doesn’t know that a dog is thinking like that?”

“Well, do you have any concerns, Your Majesty? If so, please tell me. We are here to do that.”

Despite the sarcastic sarcasm towards him, Duke Otien responded leisurely.

“You seem so loyal, so I can’t help but say that,” Declan said, resting his chin and grinned.

“Let’s discuss the war with the Iello Kingdom. That’s my concern.”

When the war was mentioned, the faces of the gathered nobles quickly darkened.

“Your Majesty, do you really want to go to war?” A middle-aged man sitting in the front row with Duke Otien asked cautiously.

‘Huh…? The man is strangely familiar.’

With a sudden thought, I turned to Mason, who was sitting just below the podium.

‘Yeah, they’re similar.’

The serious blonde face was more solemn and stiffer than that of Mason.

‘That man is Mason’s father, the Duke of Buccleuch.’

It was purely because of Mason that the Duke of Buccleuch was head of the Imperial Faction. ‘If Mason does not turn away from Declan, the Duke of Buccleuch will remain an Imperial Faction.’

“I will put the continent at the feet of the Empire.”

The low-pitched words calmed the air of the imperial palace for an instant.

“Frequent wars make the people uneasy. Your Majesty, don’t you know?” Duke Otien smiled softly and spoke as if taunting.

“Isn’t it the job of the nobles to calm that anxiety?”

At Declan’s sharp gaze, there was silence in the conference room. A slightly high-pitched voice came through the frozen air.

“Your Majesty, how are you going to cover the cost of the war? If you put a burden in this way, dissatisfaction will accumulate within the nobles.”

Of course, Count Nolan took the side of Duke Otien.

‘Isn’t that the person who almost died at the last meeting? Who are you going to believe in?’ If it were me, I would never want to appear in front of Declan again.

‘Hmm, do you believe in Duke Otien and do that?’

After that, the nobles came one after another to protect the Duke of Otien.

‘There are more people following Duke Otien than I thought. He won’t be easy to beat…’

According to the original story, the Burgundy Empire was dominated by three Duchies. Among them, the Duchy of Buccleuch was the head of the imperial faction because of Mason, and the Duchy of Otien was the head of the aristocratic faction.

And finally, the Duchy of Caster. They were a family that controlled the military power of the Empire and were neutrals who only thought about the safety of the Empire.

I thought that the power would rise because the nobles were divided into three factions.

“They seem to be in a hurry to protect their property rather than the safety of the people and the country. I don’t need their money.”

There was little relief on the faces of the nobles at the words that they would not pay the war costs separately.

“Instead, we should set an example in other ways. Make it mandatory for each family to participate in the war.”

At the following words, the nobles became pale and begged Declan. “You can’t lose a child in every war. The succession of the family…”

“This is a custom made by the Emperor. Isn’t that right, Duke Otien?”

For the first time, there was a look of displeasure on Duke Otien’s face.

This custom was created by Maxion and Duke Otien together to drive Declan to the battlefield and kill him. However, it was the Duke who lost his eldest son in the last war with the Kingdom of Gemina because of this custom.

Though treated as dead during the battle, it was a fact that even Duke Otien knew that he was killed by Declan.

‘War as revenge for Chloe’s death.’

Declan’s actions were frustrating but understandable and sad.

In spite of the earnest request of the Duke of Buccleuch that followed, he only shook his head lightly.

“Don’t object anymore. Caster, will we be able to go out in the next three months?”

“…It seems that it will take more time to organize the army as the war with the Gemina Kingdom has just ended.”

Duke Caster answered meekly, with a dark face.

“Then, I’ll give you six months.”

“Yes. We will prepare accordingly.”

Duke Buccleuch closed his eyes quietly with a gloomy face. On the other hand, while Duke Otien was very opposed to war, his expression was not dark.

‘Seriously, he is a man whose thoughts are hard to understand…’ I narrowed my eyes and observed carefully, though I couldn’t understand what was going on.

“I’ll call the meeting a day.”

Eventually, Declan stood up and left the conference room.

‘You must have been very angry.’

Declan’s face turned cold as I glanced at him.

As it doesn’t seem to be the time for me to speak at the moment, I just walked diligently at his pace.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, my head felt dizzy and my stomach churned. Fear surged over the sudden abnormal symptoms. The only thing I saw in my pinging sight was…

“Erica?”

As soon as I reached out my hand towards him, my vision turned dark.

***

“Eh?”

All of a sudden, my vision became low. As I turned my head in my confused mind, I could see my shortened arms.

“What is this…”

Feeling gloomy at the fact that I have returned as a doll again, I heard a familiar voice from somewhere.

“Erica!”

I gazed in the direction of the sound, and Declan was still shouting.

“Your Majesty, what’s going on?”

Noah, with a worried face, was at a loss next to Declan.

“Where did she go?” He said worriedly as his face turned pale. I had a strange feeling to see him looking for me in a state of chaos.

I hope you find me more eagerly…

Without realizing it, such a feeling arose.

“Noah, we must find it. We must find it.”

“Say it properly, and we will find it.”

Declan was unable to carry on his words and swept his face dry.

“…Erica.”

“Erica? Who is Erica?”

I hurriedly called Declan, thinking that if I let him speak anymore, he’ll tell my secret.

“I’m here, Your Majesty!”

At my call, he turned his head around with a surprised look.

“Hiik!”

Out of nowhere, a strange scream was heard from all around.